Meet our NaNoWrimo Accelerator Authors! These authors used the NaNoWriMo writing challenge to complete their amazing books, then used Lulu to publish. We sent each author the same set of questions designed to help understand their creative process. We also wanted to learn a little more about their motivation and how they plan to market their books.
So, without any further ado, let’s meet these incredible authors!
Too Far Gone
Brady Shaw is a hunter. He grew up fighting demons and at just eighteen years old he is one of the best. Gifted with visions, Brady is also able to foresee pieces of the future. His visions bring him to the small town of Shadowcliff where he meets twins Riley and Gabriel Walker who are actually hunters who had previously been lost. After meeting them, a chain of events is set off that no one is prepared for. After the town is attacked, the three set off with their friend Adrian to save their world from the demonic forces that are taking over. When they uncover an ancient prophecy they learn that they were meant to meet and together they must fight to rid the world of evil. Will they survive the fight and stop the pending apocalypse? Or will the world fall into chaos?
Accelerator Authors: Alyssa Fisher
- What first motivated you to write a book?
I’ve loved reading my entire life and that love of reading turned into a love of writing. I’ve always especially had an interest in the paranormal. A lot of research into mythological creatures gave me ideas of different characters and situations. This, in turn, motivated me to write about these characters and tell their stories. I love being able to introduce these characters to the rest of the world and share their journeys.
- What did you find to be the biggest challenge about the writing process?
To me, the biggest challenge about the writing process was forcing myself to write. There were many days where I was just too busy or not in the mood to write and even more days where I consistently thought to myself “This is awful, why am I even continuing?” The hardest part was pushing myself through that and forcing myself to write, even just a little bit a day. And eventually, things started taking shape. Without pushing myself, this book would never have been completed.
- If you could offer an aspiring author any piece of advice, what would it be?
One piece of advice that I would offer to an aspiring author is to just keep writing. Even if you think that what you’ve written isn’t good enough, just keep going. Write everyday, even if it’s just a little bit. One paragraph, one sentence, even just one word.
- Tell us a bit about your book…who should read it and why?
My book is about three teenagers: Brady, Riley, and Gabriel who are demon hunters. Together, these three must fight demonic forces that are taking over in order to stop the apocalypse. Anyone who is a fan of young-adult books, the paranormal and mythological, or just a fan of reading in general should read this book. It’s a fun and entertaining book that everyone should be able to enjoy with some mythological aspect as well.
- Why did you chose to write in this genre?
I chose to write in the young-adult genre because I think it’s interesting how major events (such as an upcoming apocalypse) can shape and change what the character will be like in the years where most people discover who they are. I love finding out how major events can change the future path of a character and how they learn to deal with these events. I wrote in the paranormal genre because I’ve already been interested in the paranormal and mythological. I’ve researched into a lot of mythological creatures and find the subject fascinating.
- Has writing and completing a book been the experience you thought it would be? Why or why not?
Writing and completing a book was much harder of an experience than I thought it would be. When I first starting writing I had no idea how difficult it could be. I sat down with the idea that I would just write and the perfect words would come to me. Instead, there were many days where I sat staring at the computer screen, desperately trying to come up with what would happen next to my characters. Later, editing the book was even more difficult as I parted with words that I loved that just couldn’t make the cut. At the end of it all though, there was a huge sense of satisfaction in my work and relief that it was finally finished which made everything worth it.
- Will you write another book?
I will definitely write another book. I have a few books in mind for a continuation in the world I made with this book. I also have other ideas in mind with different characters and different worlds that I want to write about as well.
- Is there anyone you would like to thank?
I’d like to thank my family for always supporting me. It was my parents who got me interested in reading and later into writing. My mother specifically pushed me to continue writing as it was something that I loved to do. Without that belief in me, I’m not sure I would’ve ever finished anything.
Kindling Ashes: Firesouls Book I
Sixteen years ago, the strongest of the dragons who once flew free over the kingdom of Auland escaped extinction the only way they knew how; releasing their souls to reside in unaware humans. With a debilitating sickness now spreading through their hosts, time is running out for them once more. On the streets of the capital city, a gold smuggler named Giselle struggles to survive with the help of the Voice inside her head. Her world is turned upside down when she catches an opportunity to travel to the mountains just as she has always dreamed, but there is a price to pay which she cannot avoid. In the south, Corran is the youngest son of the dragonslayer who led the battle all those years ago. He clashes with his brothers daily in a battle to prove himself and when he hears of dragon sympathisers in the area he is determined to turn it to his advantage. But with the first footstep outside his home, he sets his destiny to never return. Two souls can’t live in one body forever. The hibernation is over.
Accelerator Authors: Laura Harris
What first motivated you to write a book?
I’ve been writing stories as long as I remember, probably since I was about six or seven and I realised people write the books I loved to read, so I could write them too. This book in particular was originally prompted by lyrics to the song ‘Demons’ by Imagine Dragons and developed from there into my NaNoWriMo 2013 project, which I was desperate to win after failing miserably in 2012.
What did you find to be the biggest challenge about the writing process?
I think the main problem I have is staying focused on writing and not getting pulled away by the rest of life. It’s why NaNoWriMo is so helpful because it offers motivation and gets me into the habit of writing. Every year it rolls around and gives me a kick to start writing and stop procrastinating.
If you could offer an aspiring author any piece of advice, what would it be?
Find other writers. Through school/university, a local writing club, NaNoWriMo – it doesn’t matter how, but find people who you can discuss your story with, who will understand why you’re tearing your hair out over a runaway character, who you can write with so you don’t leave a story alone for months on end.
Tell us a bit about your book…who should read it and why?
The basic premise is that sixteen years prior to the start of the book, human-dragon politics reached breaking point for various reasons, and dragonslayers won. To save themselves from extinction, dragons fled their bodies and hid their souls in human hosts. This book is the culmination of that. The presence of two souls weakens the human body and is slowly killing them off, meaning the dragons can’t hide any more. There are two main characters; Giselle, an orphaned gold smuggler who’s grown up with a voice in her head, and Corran, the youngest son of a dragonslayer desperate to prove himself. Read it if you like dragons. Read it you like sword & sorcery fantasy (although there’s less of the sorcery in this, magic is limited to dragons). Read it if you like coming of age stories. And hey, read it even if none of those things is your normal reading preferences because why not try something new?
Why did you chose to write in this genre?
I’ve always liked the escapism of fantasy and the concept of magic. The majority of my bookcase and DVD collection involves magic or the supernatural of some kind, so it’s just natural to write more of that.
Has writing and completing a book been the experience you thought it would be?
The writing part is normal, I’ve been doing it for so long. Completing something is just a matter of writing day after day, week after week and staying motivated – and then editing. The editing a book to completion is what I’ve never quite managed before and it is a lot more work than I expected. There are so many parts to it (plot, make the reader keep reading, improving the writing itself) and it takes just as long as writing the book. It’s been a great learning experience though.
What has been the biggest surprise so far in your author journey?
The work that goes into marketing a book. Going into it alone is much more difficult than I imagined and there are so many things to consider like social media, cover design, promotional materials. Just having a book out there isn’t going to do anything – you need to make sure people know about it.
Will you write another book?
Of course! For one thing, I need to wrap up Giselle & Corran’s story in the final Firesouls book, but I could never stop writing for too long. The story ideas pick at my brain until I’m opening a new document and start typing away.
Is there anyone you would like to helped or supported you?
To avoid repeating the acknowledgements already in the back of my book which is several paragraphs long: thank you to every single person who encouraged me in writing over the years, and everyone who gave me advice and/or criticism because that helped me improve.
After June
Sixty-seven-year-old Ben Willows prefers the company of a dog to that of most people. So, now that his wife June, an exception in the people category with whom he’s shared most of his life, has died, he assumes he’ll live out his days keeping to himself and making the best of what a solitary life has to offer. But one day he encounters Rose, a young pregnant woman who works in a local grocery store. Something about her seems familiar, and as the days go by and events unfold, he discovers that he’s been making some inaccurate assumptions about life as well as misjudgments about people, even June, about whom he thought he knew everything, for a very long time. And he begins to understand why making connections with others can often change our lives for the better; we only need to allow ourselves to be open to the possibilities. Book Club Discussion Questions included
Accelerator Authors: Thomasin Heyworth
What first motivated you to write a book?
A good book can take you out of your own life for a while. The best books also teach you something, or provide new insights. I wanted to write a book to share some of my own insights about life and people, and also, with any luck, to tell a compelling story that people would want to read.
What did you find to be the biggest challenge about the writing process?
Getting started. The fear that I wouldn’t have all the pieces to make a good story. But I learned that once you get started, the rest follows.
If you could offer an aspiring author any piece of advice, what would it be?
Just jump in and get writing. As I said, getting started can be the hardest part. It’s been said by everyone, but it bears repeating, that if you just write, and keep writing, you will create something. If you don’t get started, it’s never going to happen. So don’t let the fear of doing it wrong or not writing a best-seller stop you. None of that matters. The writing matters.
Tell us a bit about your book…who should read it and why?
After June will probably appeal mostly to women. The main character is a widow in his late sixties, but he shares the story with a young pregnant woman. They’ve both suffered the recent loss of someone close to them, and the story is about what we share with others and what we keep to ourselves, but also about serendipity, accepting the kindness of others and being open to change. Anyone who is interested in what motivates people to make decisions could take something away from the story.
Why did you chose to write in this genre?
I suppose I wrote a contemporary women’s novel because that’s what I know best. My own view of the world is through that lens. I am also most interested in real-life stories rather than fantasy, for example, because these are the most meaningful to me.
Has writing and completing a book been the experience you thought it would be?
I really had no preconceived notions of what it would be like to complete a novel. I’ve learned so much in the process. One of most important things I’ve learned is that all writers (all creators, for that matter) go through very similar experiences, and that there’s nothing quite as valuable as the advice of experienced writers. Listening to them assures you that you’re difficulties and successes are all very normal. And that’s encouraging!
What has been the biggest surprise so far in your author journey?
I was surprised by the way the writing took on a life of its own. Some of my characters took shapes that I had not planned. A story belongs to the writer and the writer can make anything happen, but even your best laid plans can change at any time if you’re open to it. It’s fun to see where the writing takes you.
Will you write another book?
Absolutely. It’s already forming. And this time, while I still have many of the same questions I had the first time, I know some of the answers will come once I begin.
Is there anyone you would like to thank?
I have a lot of people to thank, but mostly those who lived through the writing with me, like my partner, Peter, my mother and close friends. And I should thank NaNoWriMo for creating a site that was so easy to use and offered so much encouragement. As for self-publishing, that’s another story, and the support of Meg and Glenn at Lulu as well as the other nine Accelerator Winners has been invaluable.
The King’s Blood
Magic is returning. Or so say the old prophesies cobbled from wandering soothsayers, women huffing broken gas lines, and the back of comic tomes. The Evil Empire™ of Avar and its perfectly sane, in no way crazy Emperor risks others’ life and limb to stop it from coming to pass. Ciara, a black servant into her sixteenth year, finds herself on a quest across the countryside to get the second son and only hope of the severed Ostero line onto his throne. Along the way, she and Aldrin — the rather simple and OH GODS KEEP HIM AWAY FROM ANYTHING SHARP prince — find themselves at the mercy of assassins, witches, traveling historians, killer doctors, and the unblinkers. Can two teens survive an Empire crashing down upon them while a shambling army of corpses waits patiently in the shadows? Will the religious fight for and against magic rip apart the world they all became rather fond of? And just how can a fifteen-year-old take over a throne dangling precariously over the edge of war?
Accelerator Author: Sabina Zbasnik
What first motivated you to write a book?
I wanted to write The King’s Blood after a small scene popped into my head. It pictured a girl chastising a boy for accepting a rusted and waterlogged sword from some half drowned woman lying in a pond. That scene became little more than a toss away joke in the book, but it grew into so much more. An exploration of how often history is rewritten, and though we treat it like stone, it’s really clay. Discovering what it takes to create a Charlemagne like character; young and naïve at first, but shaped by his circumstances to stitch together a shattered country while bringing back literacy. And, as always, poking fun at some of the classic fantasy tropes, especially the self fulfilling prophecy.
What did you find to be the biggest challenge about the writing process?
You know when you have a word on the tip of your brain, the perfect word to slot into your flailing sentence, but for the life of you, you cannot scrounge it up from the depths of your sunken vocabulary? When it happens dozens of times each writing session, wasting time and energy, it becomes a major stumbling block.
If you could offer an aspiring author any piece of advice, what would it be?
Write like no one will read your book; edit like your toughest critic will.
Tell us a bit about your book…who should read it and why?
The King’s Blood has the bones of a classic epic fantasy, a prince has to get his butt onto his dad’s throne, but the sinew and flesh are satire of those tropes. It’s a book meant to get some color into the medieval fantasy realm that is sorely missing. Not only is the main heroine black, so is the friendly assassin, while the sardonic witch is Asian. If you really love Terry Pratchett or Douglas Adams then you might enjoy my book. There aren’t a lot of long lists of who begat whom and the history of a stone pillar that has nothing to do with the plot, but there are jokes. Argonath sized piles of jokes.
Why did you chose to write in this genre?
Despite satirizing the fantasy genre, I do love it. It’s a chance to explore and examine the human condition, what drives and crushes people, while also throwing in a dragon or two. But no bards, no one wants to put up with a bard.
Has writing and completing a book been the experience you thought it would be?
Writing is always a surprise, getting to the book stage doubly so. It is stressful to chase that dream but, when you hold that finished copy in your hands, it’s all worth it.
What has been the biggest surprise so far in your author journey?
Perhaps the biggest surprise is the community that rallies around. Wonderful friends and people who have already slogged down this journey that are happy to share their advice, their congratulations, and beta read. A beta reader that shares both the good and bad in the form of constructive criticism is worth their weight in gold. Never let them go.
Will you write another book?
I’ve already started another series called Dwarves in Space, to move somewhat into the sci-fi arena. There are plans in my mind to stretch King’s Blood out to another two books, exploring secrets about Ciara and her father to tie them back to the Elven wars, but only time will tell if I ever write them.
Is there anyone you would like to thank?
My husband offered a great sounding board while writing as well as a useful alpha reader. So many wonderful friends took on the thankless job of beta reading; Dawn, Adam, Rick, I never could have reached even a passable manuscript without their advice and suggestions. Also, a shout out to my fellow Let’s Go Wrimo winners who all came together to help each other out, and Lulu for giving me this opportunity.
Silver Follows
On February 3rd, Ava lost everything. Her mother was killed by soldiers, her home was burnt to ash, and her best friend Miles was taken. She was left alone in a land of ruin. She set off through the wilderness of the oppressed country she loved, resolved to find Miles as she met allies along the way. Her greatest ally was a pirate captain with silver hair, a young man named Louis Rochester who had been kissed by moonlight that was absent from the world. Despite her determination to find Miles, Ava fell in love. But the hardest feat that Louis Rochester’s love ever endured was letting Ava go. She would only realize her love for him later, when it was too late. She would ride through seven months of imprisonment, death, loss, and war. She would find that Miles and Louis were the last Children of the Tribe of Admon, but she was the only one that silver follows.
Accelerator Authors: Emily Covington
What first motivated you to write a book?
I was motivated to write because I loved to read and I wanted something that no one had ever done before. I wanted to love something that had a little bit of everything and was my own.
What did you find to be the biggest challenge about the writing process?
The biggest challenge is when you find your story down in a ditch and you have to motivate your characters as well as yourself. You have to remind yourself why you started, and that’s the most important thing. Sometimes you just have to stop and look at what inspires you, listen to Indie music, talk to your friends, go for a walk, and then describe everything as you sacrifice your homework and that essay that’s due. That’s hard, but it pays off.
If you could offer an aspiring author any piece of advice, what would it be?
Keep writing. Write everything, and describe everything. Tell me what you feel and why, tell me your past and give me the wildest imaginable future, and give me metaphors that I can relate to. I want imagery and description. I want characters made from real people that I have never met, and I want you to introduce me to them. I want to love them without knowing why or how. I want it to be seamless and real. Fall away from your fears your selfish desires cut the chains that anchor you with the knowledge that you have caged yourself and the key has been in your mouth the whole time.
Tell us a bit about your book…who should read it and why?
My book is about adventure. It is about romance and finding yourself. It is about learning to love and let love go, and realizing that just because you think you love someone doesn’t mean it’s always supposed to happen. My book is meant for those people who have ever lost something, for those people who have ever been in love or wanted love or needed meaning in their lives. My book is for people who long for adventure, or who long to settle down. It is for the mothers, daughters, sisters, brothers, and anyone who wants to hear a story about a girl that had to lose everything before she could rise again.
Why did you chose to write in this genre?
I chose fantasy/adventure because I wanted to create a place that was unlike our world, but exactly the same. It used to be good, but now it is corrupt, and it will take a massive effort to make it good again, to reintroduce freedom. It is a story with war, imprisonment, death, loss, victory, and love, and it is about a girl and her friends who fall in love with their world and the adventures they have.
Has writing and completing a book been the experience you thought it would be?
Writing a book has been so much different than I ever imagined, but I write every day. I wanted elements from everything that I love, and there is so much satisfaction to see my years of writing, knowledge, and daydreaming all rolled into one little paperback copy with a green cover and script letter and my own name sitting there before me. It is compelling and powerful to be able to hold something that I made with my own hands, my eyes, my mind. It’s quite enlightening and a very huge relief. I can’t wait to do it again.
What has been the biggest surprise so far in your author journey?
Writing a book has been so much different than I ever imagined, but I write every day. I wanted elements from everything that I love, and there is so much satisfaction to see my years of writing, knowledge, and daydreaming all rolled into one little paperback copy with a green cover and script letter and my own name sitting there before me. It is compelling and powerful to be able to hold something that I made with my own hands, my eyes, my mind. It’s quite enlightening and a very huge relief. I can’t wait to do it again.
Will you write another book?
I write every single day. I have hundreds of notebooks, documents, typed sentences that are lost in places, flash drives that appear out of thin air, words on notepads and papers and even on my desk with chalk. I have so many sentences and ideas that I can’t wait to reveal the next big project that will come alive as surely as this one has. Wait for Zhenya and Brielle.
Is there anyone you would like to thank?
I would like to thank NaNoWriMo and my college friends at Murray State University who first got me involved. I would like to thank my parents, all of them, for shaping me into the person I’ve become. I would also like to thank the amazing people behind Lulu who have helped so much, and the other winners who have been beside me through this. We really have won in this endeavor.
The Ballad of the Broken Soldier
After waging a draining, unsuccessful war on the neighboring kingdom of Zylekkha, Tahlehsohr is a bubbling cauldron of unrest. The Zylekkhans, war weakened, are determined to get their vengeance and claim the life of the king of Tahlehsohr. Unfortunately for them, the murder of a king is no easy sport. Kirash, the centaur king of Zylekkha’s right-hand man and a vampire, sits in the center of a precarious web of alliances as he struggles to topple the Tahlehson government: a gang of elven freedom fighters, an idealistic werewolf hoping to start a revolution, a self-centered but powerful magician, and an undead Tahlehson general who has no choice but to help them. Plagued at every turn by Tahlehson spies and bad luck, they’re running out of time. And that might just cost them all their lives.
Accelerator Authors: Ashley Stinson
What first motivated you to write a book?
I’ve always been a voracious reader, particularly of fantasy novels. Writing seemed like a natural extension of all this reading; the practice of building a world, filling it with people, thinking of stories to breathe life into that world–that all became a fun diversion for me as a young girl. I’ve just been writing ever since.
What did you find to be the biggest challenge about the writing process?
For me, the biggest hurdle when it comes to writing a story is actually getting it down in words. Dreaming up plots and premises is fun and exciting; things feel fresh and new and full of possibilities. When it comes to actually writing it, I always find my sentences too stilted, my plots too dull, my characters too wooden. I end up agonizing over every word and thought and find myself disheartened.
If you could offer an aspiring author any piece of advice, what would it be?
Keep at it. No matter how hard it might be to find the time or inspiration, make yourself write. You can always fix anything you’re not happy with when you finish–but first you have to get it all down.
Tell us a bit about your book…who should read it and why?
In a nutshell, ‘The Ballad of the Broken Soldier’ is about a plot to assassinate the king of a country called Tahlehsohr. It follows a group of would-be assassins–men and women with their own agendas and goals quite apart from one another’s, and who don’t even particularly all get along with each other–as they try to get to the king without being caught and killed. Meanwhile, royal spies are stalking their every move and none of them can really ever be sure of the loyalties of their fellows. Adults and young adults with an interest in fantasy, intrigue, or just watching people argue ought to check it out.
Why did you chose to write in this genre?
Fantasy has been a passion of mine since as far back as I can remember. Crafting a full world with it’s own customs, belief systems, and history is an especial passion of mine, and fantasy lends itself well to that, for obvious reasons.
Has writing and completing a book been the experience you thought it would be?
It’s not quite the experience I imagined. Before you’ve finished a book, you have an image in your head that the moment when it’s all done will represent some fundamental change in who you are. Or at least I did. I thought that would be the moment that I really started to feel like a writer–I imagined I’d suddenly have all these insights into story telling and the creative process and how to tweak a reader’s heartstrings. But that doesn’t happen all at once; it turns out that just finishing a book isn’t a magical formula for knowing everything there is to know about writing.
What has been the biggest surprise so far in your author journey?
It’s been a surprise to me how writing becomes both harder and easier. For one, it’s been easier for me to find the discipline to sit down and tell myself, “Okay–today you and I are going to work on this story. We’re going to finish these scene.” At the same time, the words come more slowly. I weigh them more carefully than I used to. It’s been a surprise how much editing I’ve begun to do even while I’m putting the words down.
Will you write another book?
Of course. I can honestly say that writing is a part of me. If no one ever read a single word I wrote, I’d still be writing books.
Is there anyone you would like to thank?
My parents have been very supportive of me. My mom, in particular, loves to see the things I write, and she’s very vocal about what she thinks of it. And I have supportive friends who are also writers–so they commiserate with me when things are tough.
To Free the Fox
Alitha Helgren a college student, whose life so far has been rocky, but ordinary, goes to spend the summer at her deceased grandmother’s cottage. While there she begins to experience some unusual things. Alitha decides to investigate. What she finds she never could have expected. Alitha is lead by a wild fox to a cave deep in the forests neighboring the cottage. What do you do when you release a trickster god and all the chaos that comes with him? If you play with fire, you get burned.
Accelerator Authors: Marquel Sherry
What first motivated you to write a book?
I’ve wanted to since grade school I just could never get a whole story out. NaNoWriMo kind of helped push me to finishe a story.
What did you find to be the biggest challenge about the writing process?
The editing part was hardest for me. It was relatively easing getting everything typed out but it was painfully tedious going back and trying to fix things
If you could offer an aspiring author any piece of advice, what would it be?
Go for it. Even if you think it’s crap. I still kinda think my stuff is crap but someone obviously liked I so you never know what other people are going to think of your work.
Tell us a bit about your book…who should read it and why?
I think it’s definitely targeted to people who enjoy fantasy writing, and romance. I’d most recommend it to people who enjoy Norse myths (especially Loki) to check it out since it is centered around them.
Why did you chose to write in this genre?
Fantasy and romance have been two genres I’ve always loved reading myself especially when they are smushed together so I wrote what I liked to read I guess.
Has writing and completing a book been the experience you thought it would be?
It’s been a lot easier than I thought it would be, which I don’t think is the normal experience so I feel bad saying that I just slipped into it and everything fell into place.
What has been the biggest surprise so far in your author journey?
Winning the Wrimos accelerator contest. I entered because I was bored and had no intention if winning at all it was one of the biggest shocks I’ve ever received. Still can’t believe it really.
Will you write another book?
I have a lot of stories in my head and I have a sequel to the book I published sitting in my brain so yes I shall at least try to write more.
Is there anyone you would like to thank?
My family, friends, and my boyfriend Lonnie who tried to help edit my book tried to correct something in the first chapter that I didn’t take very well and ended his short editing career, but I love him for putting up with me.
